The European Executive Council is the collective executive decision-making body of the European government. The cabinet consists of the Prime Minister, also known as the President of the European Executive Council, the Deputy Prime Minister, who acts as a Vice-President of the European Executive Council, and other ministers. The current competences and procedures of the cabinet are described between Articles 123 to 138 of the Constitution of the European Federation. The European Executive Council shall be composed a total of 15 members at most and in one Member State can not be selected more than two members of the European Executive Council, according to Article 124 of the Constitution of the European Federation.
In relation to the Constitution of the European Executive Council shall be deemed to consist of Five Divisions:
1. Western Europe - Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France and Ireland,
2. Central Europe - Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany and Switzerland,
3. Northern Europe - Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway and Iceland,
4. Southern Europe - Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus and Malta,
5. Eastern Europe - Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia,
which Five Divisions shall be equally represented in the European Executive Council. In one Member State can not be selected more than one member of the European Executive Council.
Nomination
The process of forming the European Executive Council begins with the nomination of the President of the European Executive Council (prime minister) by the President of European Union. The prime minister will then propose the composition of the cabinet, which must then be approved by the President of European Union. Despite the president's nominating role in choosing a prime minister and approving the composition of the cabinet, however, the presidency's role is strictly limited, as the President of European Union must respect the majority wishes of the Chamber of Deputies. Furthermore, the President of European Union is forbidden to select a different cabinet composition than the one already selected by the President of the European Executive Council. Following their nomination, all members of the cabinet take the oath of office within the Presidential Palace, in a ceremony officiated by the President of European Union.
Within fourteen days of its appointment, the European Executive Council, headed by the President of the European Executive Council, is obligated to submit an agenda to the Chamber of Deputies together with a vote of confidence. Should the vote of confidence fail, the process of government formation passes to the Chamber of Deputies, which will then nominate a President of the European Executive Council within fourteen days, who will then again propose the composition of the cabinet. An absolute majority of votes in the presence of at least half of all Chamber of Deputies deputies is required to approve of the cabinet, which the President of European Union will then accept and administer their oaths of office. Should a vote of confidence fail again, the process of nomination is handed back to the presidency, who must again appoint a prime minister, who will then nominate other members of the cabinet. If the vote of confidence fails a third time, the President of European Union is obliged to shorten the Chamber of Deputies term of office and order new elections.
Composition
The European Executive Council is headed by the the President of the European Executive Council, known also as prime minister. The prime minister directs the cabinet's activities and acts as its representative. Furthermore, the President of the European Executive Council, ensures the implementation of the cabinet's policies, coordinates and controls the work of his or her ministers, and issues regulations. The prime minister may also be assisted by a deputy prime minister, who acts as a vice-president to the cabinet (Vice-President of the European Executive Council). Both the prime minister and deputy prime minister can discharge the functions of a minister. The constitution does not further describe the deputy prime minister's functions in the government, though the office's tasks are instead dictated by the prime minister, and it is not considered an autonomous state organ. The deputy prime minister's position is normally offered to representatives of the government's junior coalition partner. Deputy prime ministers also take on other ministerial positions.
The rest of the cabinet is composed of ministers, whose tasks and governmental administrative portfolios are selected and organized by the prime minister. Ministers may originate from the Chamber of Deputies Ministers may also be selected from outside of the legislature. Regulations by any member of the European Executive Council can be overruled by the European Executive Council upon a motion by the President of the European Executive Council. The President of the European Executive Council is also empowered to reshuffle or remove members from the cabinet.
The style of the government and the roles of its ministers are not constitutionally mandated, depending instead on the prime minister's personality.
Administration
The European Executive Council is divided into departments known as Directorates-General (DGs) that can be likened to departments or ministries. Each covers a specific policy area such as agriculture or justice and citizens' rights or internal services such as human resources and translation and is headed by a director-general who is responsible to a minister. A minister's portfolio can be supported by numerous DGs; they prepare proposals for them and if approved by a majority of ministers proposals go forward to the Chamber of Deputies and Senat for consideration. The European Executive Council civil service is headed by a Secretary General. The rules of procedure of the European Executive Council set out the European Executive Council operation and organisation.
I propose a fixed number of ministers:
1) President of the European Executive Council,
2) Minister for Foreign Affairs,
3) Minister for Finance and State Treasury,
4) Minister for Defence,
5) Minister for Justice,
6) Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources,
7) Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs,
8) Minister for Labour and Social Policy,
9) Minister for Health,
10) Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development,
11) Minister for Energy,
12) Minister for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport,
13) Minister for Environment and Nature Conservation,
14) Minister for Interior and Administration,
15) Minister for Economy, Industry, Science and Technology,
The make up and distribution of portfolios are determined by the European Executive Council President and do not always correspond with the European Executive Council's departments (Directorates-General).
Parliamentary and legal responsibilities
Due to the republic's parliamentary system, the European Executive Council are collectively and individually responsible to the Chamber of Deputies for the operations of the government. The cabinet must respond to questions from Chamber of Deputies deputies during each sitting session of the chamber. The european government must also respond to interpellations within 21 days of their submission. Despite being responsible to the Chamber of Deputies the cabinet is not responsible to the Senat, and does not rely on the upper house's confidence to continue its term of office. During sessions of the Chamber of Deputies, members of the European Executive Council, including the President of the European Executive Council and Vice-President of the European Executive Council, are seated in the government box within the chamber's plenary hall.
The Chamber of Deputies can pass a vote of no confidence on an individual minister if the motion receives the support of at least 97 deputies. If the motion is successful, passed by a majority vote, the President of European Union will recall the minister from office. Similarly, if the European Executive Council loses its majority support within the Chamber of Deputies, the government can be forced to resign in a constructive vote of no confidence. The motion must be approved by at least 65 deputies, and then passed by a majority vote. In such an event, a new President of the European Executive Council must be simultaneously appointed. The President of the European Executive Council is also empowered to call a vote of confidence in the cabinet, requiring a majority vote from at least half of all present deputies. In the event of the prime minister's resignation or death, the President of European Union can either accept or refuse the cabinet's resignation of office. Following a parliamentary election, the President of the European Executive Council must submit the cabinet's resignation in the first sitting of the newly elected Chamber of Deputies. After its resignation, the cabinet is entrusted to continue administering state functions until the appointment and oaths of office of the new European Executive Council.
Legally, the European Executive Council is also held accountable to the Court of Justice of the European Union for infringements upon the Constitution of the European Federation or other legal statues. Upon a motion by either the President of European Union or by 162 deputies, a member of the cabinet can be charged to be brought forth to the Court of Justice of the European Union, and then require the approval of at least three-fifths of all Chamber of Deputies deputies to begin the proceedings.
